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Thursday, July 29, 2010 • HERITAGE NEWSPAPERS/WESTERN REGION
‘Inception,’ ‘Salt’ are two to see this summer Hey, I’m Ryan Michaels, a 13year-old writing movie reviews for Heritage Newspapers. I’ve been doing it for two years, and enjoy it a lot. Here are my reviews of “Salt” and “Inception.”
‘Salt’ Angelina Jolie stars in the latest action movie, “Salt.” This is the latest in a seemingly endless cycle of action films this year in which government agents go on the run for a crime they supposedly didn’t commit, such as “Knight and Day,” “The A-Team,” “The Losers” the upcoming “Red” and now this. Now, the quality of these aforementioned films have been hit-or-miss, so I had mixed expectations for this movie, which makes me somewhat happy to tell you that “Salt” is a wholly enjoyable, though equally forgettable action romp. Jolie plays Evelyn Salt, a CIA operative who goes on the run after she is accused of being a Russian spy. Jolie delivers a great performance here, blending the dramatic intensity she brings to films like “Changeling” with her action-woman persona she’s cultivated in “Wanted” and “Lara Croft.” Jolie is easily the best, most interesting part of the movie, and I am very impressed with her work here. Liev Schreiber plays Salt’s
Also, the ending CIA superior, who is left unresolved, is convinced of and I don’t really her innocence, mind a cliffhangand continues to er, but it makes prove he is one of the film feel the more underincomplete, which rated actors workis quite frustrating today. ing. The action Overall, I thorsequences are oughly enjoyed quite thrilling the majority of and are capably “Salt.” Despite shot, although some huge gripes not particularly with plot and memorable or character develoriginal. The RYAN MICHAELS opment, there’s twist with this lots to be enjoyed particular film is here, such as the that throughout compelling action and Jolie’s the majority of the rungreat performance. ning time, we don’t know I give it three out of four if Salt is who she says she is, or as accused, a traitor. stars. This uncertainty adds a certain mystery and, to an ‘Inception’ extent, intensity to the first Christopher Nolan is two-thirds of the film that really sets it apart from most one of the greatest directors of this generation. recent action films. The man has made some of Now onto the complaints the true cinematic masterfor “Salt”: My biggest gripe pieces of the last several with this movie is that plot years, “Memento” and “The twists and developments Prestige,” not to mention his are hurled at the audience billion-grossing-juggernaut non-stop, and after a while “The Dark Knight.” they become infuriatingly I can’t quite put into words nonsensical. what makes his films so comFor example (minor spoilpelling and so popular, but ers ahead), a character who the fire-cracker intensity and is very close to Salt is shot brilliant scripts he brings in the head in front of her, to them are likely the main and she simply shrugs it off components And, by the way, and forgets entirely about it. Nolan writes his own scripts. It’s events like this that ultiHis latest film, “Inception,” mately unravel a good deal of the film’s character devel- is the thematic culmination of all his work, so far. Take opment, which is a shame. the action from his “Batman”
MOVIE REVIEWS
Carfest coming to Milan 14th annual event to be held in Wilson Park By Steven Howard Heritage Newspapers
he BackStreet Cruizers will host the 14th annual Carfest Aug. 7 in Milan’s Wilson Park, with organizers expecting upward of 100 vintage vehicles. Linda Gilson, who helps organize the event, said the car club took over the responsibility for the show 10 years ago. Previously, the show was put together by a different organizational board. “For the first four years, Carfest was part of the Milan Community Fair,” she said. Gilson said once the BackStreet Cruizers took over Carfest, the event was moved later in the summer to give it more exposure as an autonomous attraction. “We separated it from the fair,” she said. “We moved it to August.” This year, Gilson said, Carfest will get an early start for those with vehicles in the show. “The gates will open 10 a.m.,” she said, indicating this will be the time for people with cars in the show to park them and get registered. “Then, the show will start at noon.” Those who bring their classic ride to the show have the chance to win a trophy in several different categories, including Best of Show, Blood Sweat and Tears, and a Sponsors Award in addition to other prize classifications Gilson said if the weather is good, organizers expect about 250 people to visit the show, and she pointed out there will be plenty of other things to do aside from appreciating all of the fine automobiles. “We’re having a home business craft show,” she said. “There will be 10 to 15 vendors there selling all sorts of things.” The Milan Area Historical Society also will be on hand to give tours of the Henry Ford Village Industry Dam Complex. “The soybean factory will have an open house,” Gilson said. “There will be examples of the products that were made there.” Visitors also will have a chance to learn a little bit about the body of water that is adjacent to Wilson Park. “We’ll be showing the film clip that we have of the building of Ford Lake and the dam,” Gilson said. There will be plenty of barbecued food on hand for hungry visitors, Gilson said,
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the members enjoy turning provided by Peppy’s Backyard their hobby into a source of Barbeque. good will. Gilson said Carfest will also “The other part of it is giving feature a raffle, with proceeds to, and helping those in need,” benefiting a worthy cause. she said. “It’s all about pay it “We do a raffle event each forward.” year and we choose a charity Gilson said to donate to,” in the 10 years she said. “This the car club year, we’re If you go has put on doing it for Gates open at 10 a.m. for Carfest, supthe American the 14th annual Carfest on port from the Diabetes Aug. 7 in Wilson Park, in Milan. Milan commuAssociation.” For more information call 439nity has been Prizes are 3010. steadfast, and donated, and still manages winners are to grow every able to choose what they want to take home in year. She said it’s only through the order in which their tickets generous help from the surare drawn from a bucket. rounding business community Gilson said in prior years, that the BackStreet Cruizers the car club’s raffles have can put on shows such as benefited such charities as Carfest. The Ronald McDonald House, “The BackStreet Cruizers The American Cancer Society, can’t do what they do without Milan Parks and Recreation, their sponsors,” she said. The Milan Police Reserves, as For more information on well as people in need in neighCarfest or the BackStreet boring communities. Cruizers, call 439-3010. “We made a contribution to a family who lost their home in Steven Howard can be Dundee,” she said, “and also to reached at 429-7380 or the Dundee Fire Department.” showard@heritage.com. Follow Gilson said that while his blog at http://heritagewestCarfest is definitely about staffblog.blogspot.com. showcasing classic cars, all of
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may not have had a hand in her death. The film’s greatest strength is without a doubt it’s creativity and originality. In a time where the vast majority of films are remakes, sequels, reboots or whatever, it’s an unbelievable breath of fresh air to get a film as inventive, as creative, as visionary and as just plain good as “Inception.” Nolan reportedly spent up to 10 years crafting the script to “Inception,” and the time he spent pays off in spades. Nolan doesn’t merely make a movie here, he creates his own universe, with new ideas and concepts unlike anything seen on film before. And the thing is, Nolan’s dialogue explains the ins, outs and rules of the film’s universe, yet feels entirely natural. It feels as if it comes naturally out of its characters’ mouths instead of a screenwriter over-eager to explain and spoon-feed the film’s ideas to the audience. The cast is uniformly excellent. Leonardo DiCaprio leads the cast with his fantastic, borderline Oscar-worthy performance as Cobb. Marion Cotillard is stunning here as Cobb’s wife, Mal. She gives a truly great performance, and some of her more emotionally charged scenes are nothing short of haunting. Joseph-Gordon Levitt, star of “500 Days of Summer” and one of my very favorite actors, proves in addition
films, the mind-bending narrative tricks of “Memento” and the emotional intensity of “Insomnia,” with a dash of “Blade Runner” and “The Matrix,” and you get a slight approximation of just what “Inception” has to offer. Leonardo DiCaprio has slowly, albeit surely, cemented himself as one of the finest American actors of this generation. Here, he plays Cobb, a man who possesses both the ability and the technology to break into people’s dreams and steal their secrets, a process called “extraction.” Cobb is on the run for an initially unknown crime, but receives an offer from wealthy businessman Saito (Ken Watanabe), who wishes to utilize Cobb’s skills to plant the idea in the mind of a rival businessman, Fischer, to dissolve his father’s empire, which gives the film its title, inception. You see, inception is the process of planting an idea in someone’s head and making it seem as if they came up with it –– something considering largely impossible. After all, the mind always traces the root of an idea. To pull off this reverseheist of the mind, Cobb must rally together a team of specialists and plant the idea deep enough in Fischer’s mind that he takes the idea as his own. Cobb, however, is plagued by projections of his dead wife, Mal, and may or
to be a truly great dramatic actor, he can be a truly awesome action star. Ellen Page of “Juno” demonstrates more range and emotion here than any of her previous performances. All of its heady concepts and great performances aside, “Inception” is also excellent in terms of being an action film. Let it be said that “Inception” simply put, sports some of the coolest action sequences I have ever seen in film. In every single action scene, I am not exaggerating when I say my jaw dropped. The special effects are more inventive, more creative and just simply cooler than any film this side of “The Matrix.” I could easily write a 4,000word essay about this film, singing its praises, noting its highlights, and so on. I’ll spare you, though. But allow me to make some declarations: Not only is “Inception” one of the greatest science fiction films of all time, as well of the best films of the last decade, it just may be the masterpiece of one of today’s greatest filmmakers. I give it four out of four stars. Film critic Ryan Michaels is an incoming freshman at Skyline High School in Ann Arbor and two-time winner of the Michigan Press Association Better Newspaper Contest for his reviews. He can be reached through mrogers@heritage.com.
For a Founding Father, he doesn’t know much about helping a kid get a student loan. Not ever yone in the gover nment knows ever ything about the government. So when you need official info about Social Security, getting a student loan, renewing a driver’s license, or if you’re just checking your local weather, go to FirstGov.gov. A monumental source of useful information.
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